travel

Hi everyone, I am going out of town for a conference. The hotel claims to have Internet and if it works I will post from there. If not then I will be back in town April 7 and resume a normal schedule. Sorry for the interruption. val

Pilot: Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Peter and Elena looked at each other as they waited for the crowd to clear. Most of them disbursed in a quick orderly fashion, filing out as they had come in. Elena noticed a couple of others stood to the side of the doors waiting.

“God that was a mess,” Elena said. “Didn’t he ever ride the channels?”

“I don’t know,” Peter replied. “I’ll have to check when we leave. For security reasons I did not bring my blackberry. A request for information will be sent when we leave. If he does have any experience riding the channels I doubt it amounts to much.” Elena nodded and turned as Smith walked into the mostly empty room. He stopped and spoke with two of the men standing to the side of the door. They stayed while the rest of their little group filed out with the rest.

Elena noted they were younger than Smith and closer to her age and that they were both dressed in the same black on black Smith wore as opposed to the normal fatigues. She was sure that meant something but didn’t really care what. They followed Smith over to where she and Peter stood.

“I trust you found the lecture informative,” Smith said. There was no questioning overtone to the words. Elena smoothed the frown from her face.

“Very,” she said dryly. Smith nodded.

“Then if you will come with us to the conference room we will bring Ian in for discussion.” Smith turned sharply and led the way back out of the auditorium. Elena and Peter followed with the two as yet unnamed men following behind. Elena wondered if they were some sort of escort. Her mind was too preoccupied with Ian to devote much of her attention to them.

“If you will make yourselves comfortable, I will return shortly,” Smith said, opening the conference room door. Elena and Peter entered. Elena was surprised when the other two entered as well.

‘Apparently not just escorts,’ she thought as she and Peter took the same seats they had taken the day before. The two men took seats as well, both on the same side of the table as Elena and Peter so that all four faced the door. The two men now flanked her and Peter.

‘Odd,’ she thought. ‘It isn’t like we are going to run.’ The man to her left had splashed on some sort of cologne or aftershave for the meeting and its spice tickled her nose. She resisted the urge to rub the scent away from her nostrils. Neither of the two men bothered to introduce themselves. Peter ignored them, although she could see a bit of a smile playing across his lips. She determined to ignore them as well.

‘It isn’t as if I am here to make friends anyway.’ The door opened and Ian walked in with Smith right behind him. Elena thought that good planning as Ian turned ghost white at the sight of Peter and turned to leave. With Smith blocking the doorway there was nowhere for him to run.

‘Stupid,’ she thought, resisting the urge to say the world out loud. ‘Did he think no one would find out?’ She mentally shook her head at the stupidity. ‘Of course not completely stupid,’ she thought again noting the fear on Ian’s face. ‘If I had pulled something like this, left to Peter’s tender mercies would be the last place I would want to be.’ Of all the council, rumors of his deeds were the worst. Other council members were talked of with awe and respect. Tales of Peter were told around campfires in the dark of the wilderness.

“Please take a seat, Mr. Jensen,” Smith said in a calm voice. “I believe you know everyone here.” Smith stepped into the room forcing Ian forward to avoid being bowled over. He closed the door behind him and Elena could hear the snick of a lock as it shut. A look of resolution crossed Ian’s face and she knew he had heard the sound as well.

Smith pulled out the chair directly across from Elena and gestured for Ian to take it. Ian sank into the chair and stared at Elena. She got the impression that it was less as interest in her and more that he was afraid to look at Peter and had to focus his eyes somewhere. She frowned at him and realized that she was angry with Ian. It wasn’t the anger of his betrayal of the guild but rather that he tried to be a pilot without the slightest clue how do to it and his incompetence got twenty six people killed. Ian noted her anger and a cocky smile appeared on his lips.

“So I guess you have heard you have been replaced,” he said. “How sad for you.” Abruptly the anger flooded her system. She shot to her feet, the chair slamming into the wall behind her. She leaned forward, placing her left hand on the table for support. Her right hand she drew back an open palm and swung it down to slap into Ian’s face as hard as she could muster. Behind Ian, Smith stared at her in surprise but made no movement to stop her.

“You bastard,” she said with vehemence. “Your stupidity sent those people to die.” Elena placed her right hand next to her left on the table and glared at Ian. Her handprint was a red welt across his cheek and he stared at her stunned. Smith cleared his throat.

“Perhaps we could discuss this a little more rationally,” he said. His eyes had narrowed from shock to speculation and Elena realized he had not really factored her into the day’s equations. She was just someone he could use to get what he wanted from the council. She could see in his eyes he thought Peter was the one he was going to deal with. Elena straightened up, sliding her hands from the center of the table to its edge. The man to her left stood and retrieved her char from where it had collided with the wall.

“Thank you,” she told him calmly. Elena sat down and he reseated himself. Smith sat down on the same side of the table as Ian, but made sure to place an empty chair between them as if already distancing himself. She was certain no one in the room missed the significance. Ian swallowed hard.

‘That probably wasn’t one of my better moves,’ she thought. Elena took a deep breath and swallowed her anger.

“My apologies,” she said to the room. “Violence should never be used as a first means of expression but merely as a last resort.”

“Considering he baited you, I believe your response was acceptable,” Peter said, his eyes trained on Ian. Ian let his gaze flick to Peter. His eyes began to dance around the room, taking in the other men before resting again on Elena. She could see by the look in his eyes that he finally realized he had no friends in this room. She watched the fear slide behind calculation and a flash of anger danced around the edges as he looked at her. Smith looked as though the meeting had not gone according to his plan and he was not certain how to get it back on track again.

“Is it me particularly or all pilots you hate?” She asked into the silence of Smith’s uncertainty. Ian snorted.

“I don’t hate pilots,” he said. ‘I just think your time has passed. Your guild rules and restrictions. Your exclusive little club restricting the pilots numbers so that only a few can actually get it. It’s all in the past. Now anyone can be a pilot. The guild can’t control everything anymore.” His voice didn’t sound panicked but triumphant and the gleam of the shark was in his eyes.

“Exclusive club?” she repeated. Understanding dawned on her and she let out a short bark of laughter. “You wanted to be a pilot,” she said. “This whole thing is because you can’t be a pilot.” Ian narrowed his eyes in rage.

“Wasn’t allowed to be you mean,” I wasn’t one of the precious few allowed in. And because you wouldn’t let me in, I created another way to let myself in.” He radiated smug self-satisfaction and Elena tilted her head in thought for a moment. While all members of the bloodlines carried the genes for piloting in their DNA code and could pass it down, the ability to see the channels only manifested in females. She thought of her dreams and the possibility that pilot skills were undergoing some sort of evolution. ‘Perhaps the rest of the bloodline is too.’

“Can you see the channels?” she asked Ian, her voice even. Beside her Peter turned slightly towards her, an eyebrow raised in question.

“You don’t need to see the channels to know where they are,” he said dismissively. Elena leaned back in her chair. Apparently Ian had not evolved.

“Yes you do,” she said. “If you can’t see them then you don’t know when they have shifted or if they are deep enough for your ship to be allowed passage. If you can not see then than you can not pilot.”

“My machine works just as well as a pilot,” Ian shot back defensively.

“How?” she asked.

“It is programmed to know,” he told her.

“With set coordinates?”

“Of course.”

“And the seasonal variations?” Elena asked. Across the table, Ian swallowed hard and pinched his mouth shut. “What about weather conditions?” she continued her questioning.

“The ships aren’t meant to be taken through the world gates in stormy weather. Even your ships wait for clear days to sail.”

“A good storm can shift a channel two meters, sometimes even more, off course for days after, even if the weather is clear on the day you sail. Are your machines programmed for that eventuality?” Ian remained silent.

“Why weren’t you on board the USS Navigator?”

“I was needed here to calibrated and record information to continue to refine the system.” Ian frowned at Elena not sure where the conversation was going. He darted his eyes towards Peter and then Smith. Both men remained silent. Ian glanced at the other two men and Elena remembered Smith had said Ian knew all of the people in the room. Knowing them didn’t seem to help him as neither man responded.

“Wouldn’t it be better to take measurements from the ship? That way you could make adjustments to the mechanism as needed to ensure the safety of the crew.”

“The crew is fine,” he said. “They are all experienced sailors and the AP385 is simple to use,” he informed her. Elena assumed the AP stood for autopilot and wondered if he had chosen the number at random or if he had gone through 384 prototypes before. Images of fleets of toy sailboats manned by dead lab rats sailed across her mind in time to the theme song for the Pinky and the Brain cartoon. She shook her head to dislodge the thought. “They sailed through the channel perfectly and all that is needed is for someone to pick them up because something went wrong.” Ian looked at her as though a light had just gone off in his head. “That’s why you were called in. As a rescue mission.” He stiffened up. “Hardly necessary as I would have retrieved them myself in a short while.”

“How?” Elena asked. “Your ship won’t be completed for another three months.”

“I have access to other non-military ships,” he said stiffly. Beside her Elena could feel Peter tense and she knew the thought of having more than just Ian involved did not sit well with him. She was sure questions would be asked.

“Then why haven’t you gone?” She asked.

“I was needed her to complete the work on the other military ship,” he said. Elena watched a look of disgust cross Smith’s face.

“Did you anticipate having to run to fetch the missing sailors?” She asked

“Of course not. It should have worked perfectly. I don’t know what they could have done to get it so off course.” His voice sounded petulant and Elena got the feeling he had to resist stomping his foot like a spoiled child.

“I thought you said it was simple to use?”

“It is simple,” he said. “All they had to do was sail through and then sail back. How difficult could that be? They are after all sailors.” He let out a huff of air and Elena tried not to ground her teeth. Her palm itched to slap him again but knew it would do no good.

“So you programmed the return coordinates?” she asked instead.

“They are the same coordinates,” he said.

“No they are not,” she told him. “Did you not take any of the classes?”

“Didn’t you hear me before? You wouldn’t let me be a pilot so why would I take classes I couldn’t use? Or did you want me to sit through the classes just so you could mock me because no matter how well I did on my exams I would still never be allowed to pilot one of your precious ships?”

“I took the classes,” Peter said his voice level and even. “And I am not a pilot.”

“Well no one is going to mock you,” Ian responded sullenly, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I don’t believe anyone was ever mocked in my classes,” Peter said. “After all very few of the students were pilots. Many like yourself became mechanics or merchants, depending where their skills and desires led.” Ian flushed at being called a mechanic. “I can also add my assurances to Ms. Calabrese’s that the coordinates for returning a ship are quite different from those leaving.”

“They have GPS systems and know how to change the coordinates if they have to. It was a safety precaution,” Ian told them. Elena resisted a snort of laughter at Ian finally mentioned a safety precaution.

“It wouldn’t have worked,” she said. “GPS means global positioning system. Once through the channels they wouldn’t be on the globe. Besides if the units were on when they went through they would be fried by the passage and be unusable on the other side.” Elena told him; surprised he didn’t know this basic fact. He stared at her dumbfounded for a moment.
“Well then it is good you are here to mount a rescue mission if nothing else.” Ian said stiffly. Elena looked towards Smith. Apparently Ian had not been told anything from their previous meeting. Smith sighed.

“The captain and crew of the USS Navigator are dead,” he said. “No further mission to recover the lost ship will be made.” His tone was gruff and matter of fact.

“I am sorry,” Ian said. “They should have been safe. But we will need to retrieve the ship to find out what went wrong.” Smith’s eyes narrowed.

“There is no ship left to recover,” Peter said. “It was destroyed on impact when you tried to send them through a channel that is blockaded.”

“The blockade must be recent,” Ian stammered.

“Relatively,” Peter told him. “It was installed in the early 1870s.”

“You mean 1970s,” Ian said.

“No I do not,” Peter said. Ian looked around sensing that any allies he hoped to gain by still seeming useful were quickly evaporating.

“Do you have any further questions regarding the information Mr. Jensen provided us?” Smith asked. To Elena’s surprise the question was directed at her and not Peter.

“I would like to see a list of the channels he provided you with as well as the schematics of the AP385 and whatever documentation you have been provided.” Smith nodded; after all she was here to correct Ian’s information.

“Of course,” he said. “We will get copies to you before our next meeting.”

“Those designs are mine,” Ian said. No one paid him any attention. They set the date for the next meeting and Smith rose to his feet.

“Mr. Baranov I am releasing Mr. Jensen into your care. I am assigning a man to him to keep him safe while he is in your care.” Elena’s eyebrows rose in surprise and she waited for the arguments Peter would no doubt provide.

“Of course,” Peter said. “We welcome your associate. He will of course be blindfolded en-route to the preliminary hearing and remain in the observation room while the hearing is underway. From there he will be able to view the entire proceedings to assure you we have no intention of harming Mr. Jensen.” Smith seemed just as surprised as Elena about Peter’s acceptance. So surprised, she noted that he didn’t even argue the conditions.

“Very well,” he said. Privately Elena wondered how the council was going to pull this off. With a start she realized it wasn’t really her concern. Her concern was here, walking a very fine line when teaching the military about the channels. Elena almost wished she were going back to the Lorenzo. Everyone stood except Ian who slumped in his seat, a greenish cast to his skin. Smith nodded to the man standing beside Peter.

“Ms. Calabrese, I realize you came here with Mr. Baranov. Jonathan will be happy to drive you home.” Smith indicated the man standing to her left. Elena looked at him and he smiled. It was the sort of smile she associated with car salesmen and the television news reporters. Too much teeth, not enough humor. Elena looked to Peter. He nodded.

“I think that will be excellent as with Ian and your man in our vehicle things will already be a little cramped.”

“Very well,” Elena said, figuring anything Peter had to say to her would be transmitted later. She turned back to the toothy Jonathan. “I would be happy to accept your offer,’ she told him, even though it was Smith who had offered him. ‘At least we have moved from Smith and McMillan to Jonathan,’ she thought resignedly. The meeting broke up and they all trooped down the hallway and out of the door. A car was parked beside Peter’s car and Thomas eyes it with distain. She couldn’t blame him, it looked like a stripped down cop car. Jonathan steered her towards it while everyone but Smith piled into the car with Thomas.

“We will follow you out,” Peter told Jonathan as he slid into the passenger’s seat beside Thomas, relegating the unnamed man and Ian to the back. Elena inwardly sighed with relief. Even if the car ended up circling around, someone would watch to see her get out of the gates. Jonathan nodded his acceptance and steered them towards the entrance. As advised, Thomas followed. Elena gave directions to Jonathan and glanced around the car. It had a freshly cleaned smell and no personal belongings at all inside, including a pair of sunglasses, she noted as Jonathan squinted into the sunlight.

“I think your boyfriend is worried about you,” Jonathan said with a smile. Elena frowned. “Mr. Baranov is following us,” he clarified.

“He isn’t my boyfriend,” Elena said. Jonathan smiled.

“Really?” he asked with interest and Elena realized that wasn’t exactly the right thing to say. She turned to look out the window for the short drive. Jonathan dropped her off in front of her apartment. “See you soon,” he told her as she got out of the car. She wondered if he was going to be in all of her meetings. He pulled away from the curb and Thomas slid into his spot. Elena looked down as Peter rolled down the window. Thomas got out of the car and opened the back seat. He blindfolded Ian, shut the door walked around the car to open the other door and blindfold the military man.

“Who keeps blindfolds in their glove box?” she asked as he finished. Thomas shut the door and turned a smile her way. The eyes were laughing.

“We do,” he said. He returned to the driver’s seat and she realized it was the first time she had heard him speak.

“These are my contact numbers in case anything comes up,” Peter said, handing her a business card. She took it from him. “Do not hesitate to contact me for any reason great or small as I will be your council contact through this ordeal.” She nodded and tucked the card in her purse.

“Safe drive,” she told him. He nodded, rolled up the window and let Thomas speed them out of town.

“I wonder what the other drivers are going to think about the blindfolded men in the back seat?”

Pilot: Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Elena pried herself reluctantly out of bed and got ready to face the day. She glanced at the closed notebook as she dressed and tried to think of anything she could add from her dreams. She shook her head and tugged her sweater on. Aside from the dream that woke her there wasn’t much to report. The rest of the night contained flashes like she had seen at the end of the non-existent channel.

“I think I was too afraid to fall deeply asleep,” she thought. A few seconds after the images began to play she would start awake. Elena rubbed a hand across her eyes and wished she could crawl back into bed. Images of Peter and Smith breaking in to come get her danced on her mental view screen.

“Well maybe Peter wouldn’t,” she corrected. “Smith probably would though. Elena left the bedroom and walked into the living room, giving her kitchen a scowl as she passed, knowing there was no coffee. The headache throbbed behind her eyes but it was not nearly as bad as it had been in the night. She thought about her dreams as she waited for Peter.

Elena closed her eyes and pictured herself standing on the deck of the Storm Chaser. She replayed the dream and when it reached the point where she turned away she flinched, expecting the pain. Elena opened her eyes.

“What if they are right?” She asked the empty apartment. “What if it is an evolution of abilities? Could I open a new channel?” The thought sounded idiotic to her own ears. That simply wasn’t the way the channels worked. The thought kept circling though as she grabbed a blank notebook and slipped a pen into her purse. A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her thoughts.

“Good morning,” she said, opening the door for Peter. In his hand he held a cup of coffee from the local coffee shop. He held it out to her and she reached for it automatically.

“And good morning to you,” he said. “I did not know if you would have time to make a pot of coffee so I brought some.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking a delicate sip of the hot brew. He had added a dollop of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. It was exactly the way she fixed her cup when on board the Lorenzo. Obviously Peter was paying attention. She picked up her purse and notebook. She slung the pure strap to her shoulder and tucked the notebook under her arm so she could lock the door. She followed Peter into the hallway then shut and locked the apartment door. As she tucked her keys away and followed Peter down the stairs she wondered if the lock was any good. Had the military been in her place while she was out? She shook the thought away and got into the waiting car.

“You seem pre-occupied,” Peter commented as Thomas navigated the car through morning traffic.

“Just thinking about my dreams,” she said.

“Ah,” he replied. “And the calling?”

“Yes.” Elena sipped her coffee.

“My brother has been studying it for quite some time and often uses me as a sounding board for his theories and thoughts.”

“Is he fond of the evolution of ability theory?”

“As a matter of fact yes, I believe he is.”

“And has he theories about nature of this evolution?”

“Several,” Peter said with a smile. “But none he is really pleased with.”

“I see,” Elena said thoughtfully. “Do any of his theories deal with a pilot’s ability to open new channels?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied, looking Elena over thoughtfully. She cringed a little. Giving Peter another reason to speculate in her direction was not a good plan. She turned away from Peter to stare out the window. “I will have to ask him and let you know.”

“That would be nice,” she said turning back towards him. The speculative look was gone, as if he realized her discomfort. A cheerful, helpful smile greeted her. She smiled back, not at all fooled by the change in facial expressions. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

Elena took a deep breath when they reached the guard station and almost wished they would be refused entrance. Apparently they were cleared because as soon as Thomas gave the guard Elena’s name he agreed to allow them entry. Once again they were told someone would meet them. Thomas pulled the car into the same spot and Elena and Peter got out of the car. She was expecting the same man to lead them to the conference room instead however Smith was waiting by the door.

“Good morning,” Smith said.

“Morning,” Elena and Peter replied automatically.

“Ian is giving a lecture this morning and we believe it would be beneficial for you to hear the lecture and then sit down in conference.”

“You want us to hear what he says while he doesn’t know we are here,” Elena said with a smile. “Sneaky.”

“Not at all,” Smith replied stiffly. “We merely feel you need to hear the presentation in its entirety before discussions begin.”

“Of course,” Elena said. Peter hid a smile. Smith opened the door and let them through a series of hallways. Doors lined the hallways and through the doors that were opened Elena could see they housed offices. The hallway ended at a double door, Which Smith held open. Elena stepped into a small auditorium.

“Your seats are this way,” Smith said leading them to the back of the seating area. Elena and Peter took their seats and Smith left them. As if his leaving was a signal, people started to enter the room and fill up the seats in front of Elena and Peter.

“I think we broke the dress code,” Elena said noticing they were the only ones not dressed in a military fashion.

“I doubt anyone will really notice,” Peter said. He pointed up to the lights above them and Elena could see that several of the light bulbs over them had been removed to place them more in shadow. Elena snorted.

“Good thing Smith doesn’t want to be sneaky,” she commented. The seats around them filled in and when every seat was filled Smith led in Ian. Ian smiled at the audience as he ascended the stairs to the stage. Even from the back row it was clear he liked having an audience. Once he reached the podium the house lights dimmed and a spotlight was brought up on Ian. He seemed momentarily surprised but if anything his smile grew wider.

“I think he likes that,” Peter whispered. Elena nodded. The first part of Ian’s lecture described the channels in their basic sense although he used the term world gates, and Elena studied him as he spoke. There was an arrogant lilt to his voice and it sounded like he was talking down to his audience, the way one would do with a small child.

‘They can’t be too fond of that,’ She thought. Beside her Peter had slipped out a small tape recorder and turned it to record the lecture. Elena had the feeling it would be brought up when Ian was brought to face the council.

‘That alone will sink him,’ she thought, turning her attention back towards Ian. He was winding up the history of the channels section and branching out into new territory.

“And so for centuries these world gates have been exploited by the families of the guild with no thought of the greater good they could be used for the rest of the world. These merchant pirates reap the benefits of commerce and hold tight to their secrets so that others can not do the same.”

‘And so that we didn’t get burned as witches,’ Elena mentally added.

“Now we have the technology to spread the knowledge of the world gates beyond a few hand selected, pampered guild member pilots.” Venom dripped from the words and Elena wondered why he felt such hatred for the pilots and the guild. She frowned not really liking the fact that she was being called a pampered pirate.

‘Isn’t that a contradiction?’ she thought. ‘Pirates are usually pretty rough.’ Ian’s diatribe continued and she added selfish and xenophobic to the list of terms used to describe people like her. Elena noticed that Ian managed to glaze over the dangers of piloting. From his description it sounded as if space was vast, and entirely unpopulated. There were no mentions of raiders, hostile populations, political negotiations as well as the general dangers of travel. She wondered if he knew things like meteors existed.

‘I wonder who he thinks we trade with if no one is out there?’ Elena frowned and began listing the very uncomplimentary things she wished to say to Ian when they were out of earshot of the military.

“And now we are reaching a new age,” Ian said grandly. He picked a remote control from the podium and pushed a button. Images were sent from the projector to the blank wall behind him. Elena leaned forward as images of various mechanical apparatus flashed on the wall. The bits and pieces gradually came together to form a whole. What Ian had created was in essence a mechanical version of a pilot.

‘It would make an interesting safety feature,’ she thought. ‘If a pilot was injured the crew could still make it to port safely.’ Watching Ian talk though Elena realized Ian would never be happy creating something like a safety feature. It wouldn’t net him the kind of audience currently listening to his every word.

“And the channel locations are programmed into the automated pilot,” Ian said gesturing to the screen. Elena’s frown deepened as she waited for the rest. “This ship is then fully equipped to go through the world gates.” Elena’s eyebrows rose and she looked over to Peter. He was frowning at the stage. Ian had mentioned nothing about seasonal variations or channel depth. From Ian’s words she got the impression the location of the channel was only entered once and then forgotten. She wondered if he had the locations marked on the space side as well as the land side since the coordinates would be quite different.

‘That would explain the mis-marked map McMillan had,’ she thought. ‘They marked the channel one time and concluded it was always there.’ Elena ground her teeth. Either Ian had not bothered to learn too much about the channels or he was holding back information. ‘Either way 26 people died of it.’ Ian began listing the benefits of his system, mostly concentrating on the fact that actual pilots were not needed and that the military could run the operation themselves.

“And the practical applications are endless. These ships can move troops and supplies with ease.” Elena snorted in derision and Peter shook his head. An image of a ship’s blueprint came up and Elena sucked in her breath. The ship was designed to hold over one hundred men. She blinked hard at the image.

“As you can see, the USS Reconnaissance is designed for just such a mission.” Ian flipped the slide and an image of a half built ship appeared. “In three months she will be complete and ready to launch.” Ian paused and let his gaze slide around the audience. They slid over Peter and Elena without pause. “Are there any questions?” Peter put a hand on Elena’s knee reminding her that there would be time for her questions later. She kept quiet and no questions arose from the audience. Ian thanked them for their time and walked off stage and out of the door. Peter turned off the recorder.

“And Elvis has left the building,” Elena muttered as she stood up.

Pilot: Chapter 20

Sorry I got off schedule but I am back. I found a major plot gap that had to be fixed so we are back on course now. val

Chapter 20

Elena’s thoughts of once again riding the channels followed her into dreams. She was on board the Storm Chaser and could feel the ship moving under her command. The feeling of being one with the ship was back and she laughed in the face of the spray as she they moved. The day was clear, the sky an azure bowl above her. Off the lee side dolphins danced in the waves, drawn to the magic a channel rider left scented in the water. Elena turned her face to the sun and closed her eyes for a moment feeling the sun on her closed eyelids. She smiled and opened her eyes, scanning the open water. To her physical eyes only leagues of open water met her gaze. She smiled again and saw the world with the sight of a pilot. The entrance to the channel appeared as if it were an opening between two massive rock formations. She tested the depth and feel of the channel.

“Easy passage,” she said to herself. She steered the ship to the center of the channel and with a bump left the open sea for the open sky. Azure sky bled to black and stars twinkled where once only the sun held sway. The ribbon of water, drawn into the channel with her ship gleamed darkly. Elena breathed deeply. The scent of the sea remained on the ship, as much a part of it as its riggings but the air no longer held the tang of the breeze. Instead the recyclers kept air inside the shield fresh and clean. Her hair stirred a little in the currents. The currents were more for comfort than use. Early pilots had found without the currents, sailors found the air to still and sailors were an easily spooked lot. The currents helped prove that the ship was moving to those who could not feel. Elena realized she was dreaming.

“Dreams are better than nightmares,” she thought and lay back watching the stars drift by. Enjoying the sensations. “I’ll have to take this route if I pick up a crew,” she thought. At the moment being alone in the great expanse of night was not something she wished to give up. “Besides,” she thought, “If it is just me then there is no one else to risk should I give into the calling.” As if on cue small sections of space around her began to ripple like the air above a blacktop road in the summer.

“Odd,” she thought. The Storm Chaser sailed close to one of the heat spots and Elena stared at it wondering what it could be. Images flashed into her mind the way they sometimes would just before entering a channel. A cold chill raced along her spine.

“That isn’t right,” she muttered. Elena turned away from the heat spot, her stomach felt queasy. As her attention left the simmering space, pain exploded inside her head. She woke up and clamped her hands to either side of her head. Her stifled scream came out as a moan. For a few moments she could only rock back and forth slowly and wait for the pain to subside. Gradually it began to recede to the proportions of a normal migraine and Elena let her hands fall to her lap. Slowly she eased her way out of bed. She moved cautiously, afraid to jostle her head to much and bring the pain screaming back. She walked over to where she had left the leather dream journal and cursed soundly when she realized she didn’t have a pen with it.

“I should have stolen the one from the desk,” She thought surly. She stood in the center of her bedroom and tried to puzzle out where her pens actually were. “I keep buying the stupid things,” she said. It didn’t help. Pens were simply one of those commodities people were always buying but constantly searching for.

“I’m sure there is some sort of metaphor in that but right now I can’t actually bring myself to care.” Her eyes locked on the notebook she had been making work notes in before bed and whooped in triumph as she saw the pen on top of its cover. She instantly regretted that decision as the sound cut through her aching head like a knife. She retrieved the pen and took both journal and pen back to the bed. She didn’t turn on the bedroom light but used the light coming in from the outside streetlamp. Its glow was bright enough to work by and didn’t hurt her head. She jotted down what she remembered of the dream even though she was certain the first part of the dream was an actual dream and not part of the calling.

“Or was it,” she mused. The two fit so well together as if one were the extension of the other. “The dream made me feel a bit like Christopher Columbus or maybe Magellan, striking out into uncharted waters and still afraid of falling off the edge of the world or being eaten by sea monsters,” she wrote. Elena realized she was working the situation around in circles and capped the pen and closed the notebook.

She put the notebook aside and curled up letting thoughts of exploration flow through her. The dreams weren’t scary, just odd. The channels didn’t work that way. They were established pathways not heat spots in space. She slipped into dreams, flashes passing by with no cohesive whole. A flower, a sunset, a tree, all images of places and things she had never seen. It was a kaleidoscope. She woke in the morning more tired than when she had gone to sleep

Pilot: Chapter 19

Sorry for the delay I had company in town and wasn't near a computer. val

Chapter 19

Elena leaned against the closed door and stared at the packet of papers in her hand. It was covered with oiled leather to protect against the wet of the sea. She could hardly believe that she had just been given her own ship. Elena was still torn about the Calling and whether or not she would be able to once again pilot, despite Peter’s confidence. Elena traced a finger over the leather in thought.

“Most ships are designed so only one person could theoretically sail them,” she mused. It was considered a safety feature not a design requirement. Most pilots did not sail alone. During an attack by raiders, the pilot was always the most protected crew member. With the pilot alive and conscious there was always the possibility of escape. Without the pilot a ship was dead. If the entire crew was incapacitated a pilot could still sail the ship to a safe port. Elena tapped the packet.

“It might be wise to sail alone a few times,” she said. “I’d have to do that the first time out anyway.” Eventually if she went back to piloting she would need to hire a crew. She would have to stay in the safe lanes and travel them alone to get to the docking facility. A person could not hire a crew landside. The crew was usually advertised for at the port. It was safer that way. Anyone at port would obviously already know about the channels. “Of course Ian already let the cat out of the bag.”

Elena shrugged off the thought and opened the packet while she is still leaning up against the door and looked at her ship. Her hands were shaking and she knew that once she saw all of the particulars she is going to want that ship. Already being involved in the world of the pilots and channels she wants to be back on the sea. She grew up on deck and when she was piloting there was nothing else. It was as if she were meant to be a pilot. The ship may sail under a captain’s command but when she was at the helm the ship was a part of her. That was the way it had always been. To leave had been almost like cutting off her own hand.

The first thing she saw when the leather parted was a set of pictures that had been tucked inside of the packet. It was her ship. The Storm Chaser was beautiful. Elena flipped through the pictures slowly. She could see the loving craftsmanship that went into her design. The wood gleamed in the sunlight. Elena felt the ship take hold of her. The figurehead was an angel with full spread wings that folded back along the prow making her look as though she were in full flight.

“You know just how beautiful you are don’t you?” She said to the angel, her fingers tracing the lines of the ship. Just looking at the ship made Elena ache for the sea. She tore her eyes away from the set of pictures to glance over the particulars. It was being held in the same port as her grandfather’s ship and at the moment that was fine. She would have to find a harbor closer to where she lived obviously and she began running through the list of possibilities.

The problems with safe harbor of course were the relatively few American ports that were considered safe by the families. At the back of the ships particulars was a list of possible ports for her consideration. Choosing one would require some thought.

The ship could berth six. That would normally be the captain, pilot and four crewmen. She could save some of the weight by being both captain and pilot and the style of the ship was the sort that she could manage on her own. She would probably need to hire about three folks though.

A four-man list would lighten the load and enable more merchandise to be brought in while still being of poundage suitable for riding the channels. That was one of the things that made the dual role of captain and pilot so appealing. The papers dealt with all of the ships particulars and she was delighted to find that the ship had been somewhat tricked out. It had all of the latest equipment. Elena read through the list of equipment with a little bit of awe.

Her grandfather’s ship had been old and while the Wind Dancer had been upgraded, the systems were not totally integrated. They had been retrofitted onto older models and its systems had a bit of a cobbled together feel to them. She was looking forward to the thought of using a system that was put together at one time and all functioned as a unit. At the same time she could see why Peter and the rest of the council did not want the military on such a ship as this and why an older model would be used.

Much of the equipment would be startling to many of the military. The military rarely steered by the stars anymore; their navigational systems were somewhat different. They would be more familiar with equipment like radar or sonar, which was a part of this system but only used before entering the channels. And while the ship did contain a GPS system, it was not as big an assistance as the star charts.

“Of course, many of the star charts were not of this solar system,” Elena said thoughtfully. In fact, many of the charts came from places that NASA had not even seen with their unmanned spacecraft. Another factor was that some of the technology was not originally designed on Earth but had been picked up from other sources and adapted for human use. Earth was not exactly considered the cutting edge of technology in the places their ships went.

“We are more like the backwoods yokels,” she said with a smile. “Luckily we are good at adapting other people’s technology to our needs.” Earth had always been considered pretty much a backwater world. After all humans had a hard enough time getting along with each other. Throw in some alien species and bad things would occur. She would hate to see what some of the religious extremists would do.

“Exporting televangelists through out the known universes would not be beneficial for the human race,” She said with mock gravity, shaking her head. “We would be really unpopular then.” The images that formed in her head were more disturbing than amusing so she brushed them away.

“I have the feeling the military would love to get their hands on the technology from the Storm Chaser,” she said, reining her thoughts away from intergalactic televangelists.
“But they should be safe enough on the Wind Dancer.” Elena folded the leather packet back up, with the pictures tucked inside. She thought about putting the oiled leather packet of papers with the other papers but decided that she really didn’t want to go to all the trouble of prying up floorboards. Especially when she had laundry to do.

Elena moved to the back of her apartment. She tossed the packet onto her bed and picked up her laundry basket. While she sorted out her first load of laundry she wondered if she should take anything with her in the morning. She mentally rifled through her maps but decided against bringing them.

“They can use their own maps,” she said, turning the washing machine on. Ultimately she decided to bring an empty notebook and her calendar as the only items extra for the meeting. With a start, Elena realized that once her ship was in port she could easily store her papers aboard the ship and would not really have to worry about them being taken or accidentally viewed by others who should not be privy to their information. The ships the pilots used for riding the channels were very well protected and the docks were not exactly places that were easily accessible to the general public. The council took care of security for a cut but no one really minded since cheap security put them all at risk.

The types of people guarding them were not exactly inclined to trust government officials. In fact most of the people that the families worked with were in a similar set of families as well. The docks they used were always well protected by Union men. Any military personnel wishing to pay an unauthorized visit would find a very unwelcome reception. As she was pretty sure the military did not wish to open fire on civilian dockworkers and cause a very public incident, she would not need to fear for her papers’ security.

“No more prying up floorboards for me,” She said as she went about her household chores. With that thought in mind Elena walked back to the bedroom. She tucked the papers under her pillow kind of like one would a tooth for the tooth fairy. She knew she was being a little silly but she didn’t want to pry up the boards and she really didn’t want to leave it out on the table.

“Besides,” she said to the empty room. “Who would actually look there anyway?” Elena made sure the clothes she washed included clothes for her morning meeting. The clothes she chose for the meeting were the kind that were classy as well as comfortable. Her dress slacks were a cotton blend that fell just right and felt butter soft. The sweater she paired it with was also soft and fuzzy. Both were suitable for a meeting and considering she had once been kidnapped by these men she really did not want to put on one of her power suits that she used when talking to bankers and other true business meetings.

After deciding on the important matters of clothing and comfy shoes Elena did some work on business matters. She started off with thinking about the gaps she had seen in her own store and the immediate concerns, things like shifting merchandise around and bringing more back room stock to the front but as the evening wore on she began thinking about some of the other business.

“The business that might be,” she termed it in her head. It really wouldn’t be too hard to set up. Several if her business associates, the craftsmen and the people she imported from would be more than willing to act as more or less a front for the goods as long as they knew it was not stolen and not of shoddy workmanship. The food might be a little more difficult to manage but it would still be do-able.

The guild had long ago made up lists of potential allergens so she could be reasonably safe on that account. She didn’t know all of them just some of the more common ones. If a person was allergic to peanuts they shouldn’t consume trascot. If they were lactose intolerant they might want to stay away from merdonosol. Procuring a full list would not be that difficult. Elena pulled a notebook close and began making a list of needed things.

“It would be better if the foods were processed,” she mused jotting down test kitchen and processed food in her notebook. She tapped her pencil on the notebook and stretched out on the bed instead of sitting on it. Currently she didn’t sell food products.

“Perhaps it could be its own separate store.” She thought. The business could also do on-line sales as well and that would help increase sales. Elena realized that it is definitely do-able and she started working figures around on the paper in front of her. There was a building for sale next door to her and she had been thinking of buying it for expansion and had been torn between the cost of expansion and the worth of such a move. She was not sure she had a large enough customer base to branch out quite that far. She really liked the cozy atmosphere of her own place as well and thought expanding it might make it feel more like a warehouse. Keeping it a separate store would help.

In her mind she began to flesh out the building, using furniture from her own stock or pieces that were not quite kosher on their provenance, she could have a very attractive display area and give promotion to the existing imports store. And since she would be working with both her grandfather and Peter she could give it a name that did not tie it to just her family. It would be an interesting model to create and if the families could expand it, then it would be beneficial to all. The ringing phone interrupted her thoughts and she rolled off of the bed to answer it.

“A little birdie told me you were seen having a very cozy dinner with a very attractive man in one of the most romantic restaurants in town. Spill.” Elena laughed recognizing her friend Tina’s voice. She put away her future business concerns, please to have a normal conversation that didn’t involve her walking a dangerous tightrope.

“How exactly do you get gossip that fast?” She asked.

“My natural talent. You still haven’t explained your date or why I did not know about this date in advance.”

“It wasn’t a date Tina,” Elena said sensing ruffled feathers. With a laugh they settle into a conversation and Elena felt the tension of the last few days ease.
Elena went to bed after her laundry was done and laid out for the morning. She had the feeling that her world is no longer the same as it was. For the second time in her life the cozy and comfortable world she inhabited had been shattered and she was left to recombine elements in new and interesting patterns. As she snuggled into the sheets she thought that at least this time it was good things happening as opposed to her leaving to prevent bad things from happening.

Pilot: Chapter 18

Elena pushed open the door and entered the restaurant. Peter followed and looked around the room. A look of approval crossed his face. Elena couldn’t decide if the approval meant the restaurant was upscale enough to suit his tastes or if the tables were far enough apart for their conversation. She shook her head.

‘The last place I want to be is inside a council member’s head,’ she told herself. The hostess walked towards them with a smile.

“Elena,” she said reaching out both hand and pulling Elena in for a peck on the cheek. “It is nice to see you.”

“Hello Maria,” Elena said returning the smile. She noticed Maria’s gaze travel to Peter. “I’d like you to meet Peter Baranov. He is an old family friend in town for a few days on business.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Maria said.

“And you as well,” he replied with a smile. From the twinkle in his eyes Elena was fairly certain he found his introduction amusing.

‘But when does Peter not find me amusing?’ she asked herself. Maria escorted them to a table and told them the waitress would be right over.

“You seem to rank a very nice table,” Peter commented. Elena raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly around the room, taking in the only two other occupied tables.

“All of the tables at Enzo’s are nice tables but an early dinner meant there are many more choices.”

“Of course,” Peter said. “And I’m sure everyone gets as enthusiastic a greeting as well.”

“Maria is a friend of mine,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with having friends.”

“Nothing at all,” Peter said. “Just as there is nothing wrong with having employees who care about you.”

“You do not like my staff at the store?” Elena asked stiffly. Peter waved off her offense.

“I didn’t mean that,” he said. “I merely found it of interest that you are so well liked.”

“Because I am not worth liking?”

“No, I didn’t mean…” Peter sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. Elena found watching Peter trip over his words to be an interesting experience. “May I begin again?”

“If you think it would help.”

“Thank you,” he said, inclining his head slightly. The waitress interrupted Peter’s restart to ask for their drink choices. She handed them menus and recited the specials of the day. Elena barely listened to the specials and didn’t bother opening the menu. Today she wanted comfort food and that meant chicken Parmesan. The waitress left to being their drinks.

“Most people in the guild tend to be insular,” peter began as she left. “We tend to associate with only those we can safely tell about our exploits. Which means we associate closely with pilots and other family members. The pilots are often the most insular. I did not expect that you would have…” Peter searched for the correct word and Elena got the impression he was trying not to insult her again. She took pity on him.

“Blend so well with normal society?” She finished the thought.

“Yes,” he said with relief.

“When I left I the Guild, I ceased having exploits to hide,” she said with a shrug.

“Those who leave the guild are often the worst at blending in. It is as if to do so means that they must fully acknowledge that their world has changed. They often return after a year or so.”

“Ah,” Elena said, unsure how else to comment. The waitress set their drinks on the table. Elena squeezed the lemon into the water and dropped it into the glass. She took a sip while Peter perused the menu.

“So what is good here?” he asked.

“Everything,” Elena replied. “I am partial to the chicken Parmesan though.” She turned towards the waitress. “I would like to order that please.” The waitress nodded and turned towards Peter.

“I believe I will have the same,” he said. She left with their menus tucked under her arm and their orders tucked into her head. Elena sipped her water and looked at peter. The soft lighting suited him. It softened his edges and made him seem more charming than dangerous.

‘But maybe that is just the atmosphere,’ she thought. The mood of Enzo’s had always struck her as romantic. The soft lighting, warm colors, low candles floating in small bowls of water all combined to have a romantic feel. ‘Which is why they are always booked three deep for Valentine’s Day.’ Even though the room was a large one it didn’t feel overly large it felt as though each table were it’s own separate world. ‘Perfect for a romantic liaison. Or,’ she thought wryly, ‘The perfect place to have a private conversation in a public venue. Just my luck I got the second option.’ She sighed realizing how long it had actually been since she had a real date. ‘Too busy for my own good,’ she thought.

“So,” Peter began. “Normally all business discussions would wait until after the meal, but I wonder if you would mind discussing business during?” Peter asked. “If you are uncomfortable with this we can of course wait.” Elena thought of spending the next hour maintaining idle small talk and thought that would make her more uncomfortable than a business discussion over food.

“I’m fine mixing business with food on this occasion,” She said. “The circumstances are unusual enough to warrant a bending of the rules of etiquette.” Peter sighed with relief and Elena wondered if he was having problems thinking of small talk as well. She was a bit nervous about the discussion and figured comfort food might help it go down easier.

‘Although they have asked a lot,’ she thought. While she could easily see them asking for more she had a feeling the council was also in her debt. ‘Its that whole friend of the guild thing. It would be nice to know what that entailed.’

“Thank you,” he said. “The first thing we should deal with is the military.”

“I agree,” she said. To her mind they were far and away the largest of her current problems.

“We will try to keep them to a minimum of meetings, after all your time is quite valuable.”

“And fewer meetings limit the amount they can learn,” Elena commented as the waitress returned with two loaded plates.

“Exactly,” Peter said.

“Thank you,” Elena said to the waitress as the plate was placed in front of her. A basket of fresh breadsticks was placed between her and Peter. She asked if they needed anything and left when they said they didn’t.

“You will however be given great leniency in dealing with them and allowed to use your own opinion as to which topics are too sensitive to mention. There are a few we will ask you to avoid discussion.”

“And if something comes up that I am uncertain about?” She asked.

“I will serve as your point of contact and will give you my numbers before I leave.” Peter smiled and picked up his knife and fork to cut a piece of chicken. “While we know you can easily call your grandfather, politics is not his strong suit and the council felt it was more beneficial for me to serve as your advisor in this.”

“I can understand that,” Elena said, cutting her own bite of chicken. “Putting Smith and Grandfather in the same room would be like throwing gasoline on a fire. And as an advisor I think he would naturally object to giving the military any information.”

“True.” Peter took a bite of his meal and smiled. “This was an excellent recommendation,” he said after swallowing.

“Always my favorite,” she told him taking her own bite.

“I have the feeling Smith will want you to meet with them nearly every night so I would suggest penciling in a few random evenings before tomorrow if you wish to keep them free.”

“Good advice.”

“I think once a week or once every two weeks should be sufficient. And if done on week nights I should still leave your weekends free.” Elena smiled.

“The store is only really closed on Sundays,” she told him. I rarely get a full weekend off.”

“Do you have the same rule as your grandfather about Sundays?” he asked.

“It isn’t as hard and fast as his but I do like to have at least one day to myself.”

“So you still allow that the rest of the world exists on Sunday then?”

“Sometimes,” she answered with a grin. Amazingly she actually felt quite comfortable with him. “I didn’t realize you knew him that well.”

“Everyone knows of Alexandro’s rule,” he told her with a smile

“Would you be willing to give up at least one other night a week as well?” he asked.

“I suppose I could. Why?”

“Business,” He replied. Even if you chose not to be in business with me I would like to talk with you about your connections and how you made them. The choices you made and why, that sort of thing. It seems as though it might be a good business model for many of our guild.”

“I suppose I could do that,” she replied thoughtfully. She was seriously considering working with him and her grandfather on expanding the business and had already begun making a mental list of requirements. ‘But no need to tell him that yet,’ she thought.

“You would of course be compensated for your time. The Council has a standard consultants fee schedule. It could be adjusted if it does not suit you. I will have someone send it to you for your approval.”

“Thank you,” she replied, unsure what else to say. He looked pleased by her response and she let it go.

“So will you be looking forward to working with your family again?” he asked. “It must have been difficult leaving them all.”

“Since you might be working with me you should be aware there is some family friction,” she told him with a grimace.

“Oh?”

“There is friction between Therese and I. I am certain she will not like you working with me.”

“I see. Well the Baranovs will survive her bad feelings I am certain. You cousin Mateo, is he in bad graces with you as well?”

“No,” Elena replied. “Mateo and I get along quite well.”

“That is something then,” Peter replied. “I have seen much of his work. He is quite gifted.”

“Yes he is. Actually,” she said thoughtfully, “I might ask him about some of Ian’s workings on the military ships. He is much better at the mechanics of things than I am.”

“Sounds like a good idea then. Will he be working with you as you secure your own goods?”

“My own goods?”

“Yes as your grandfather has secured another pilot you are of course free to pilot your own vessel. Many of our best pilots become both captain and pilot after they have matured. Or does this not appeal to you?”

“It has great appeal, providing the Calling can be tamed, however there is one problem. I don’t have a ship and the money I had saved to purchase one when it was time to strike out on my own I invested in my store. I now have inventory, not a ship.”

“I see,” he said, a small smile playing around his lips.

“Besides, it takes a long time to build and outfit a hip properly. Even if I commissioned one tomorrow I would have a long wait ahead of me. And that is assuming I could get on the waiting list.”

“Sometimes the list is not so long,” he said. Peter set his fork down on his plate and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a leather packet that looked to hold papers. He set it on the table next to Elena’s plate and then picked up his fork to resume eating.

“What is that?” she asked, gesturing to the packet.

“Papers,” he replied.

“Papers for what?”

“For the Storm Chaser.”

“The Storm Chaser?” She asked, her loaded fork frozen halfway between her mouth and her plate.

“Yes, just off the line and fully tested, as the papers certify. They are in your name of course.”

“My name,” she repeated feeling stupid.

“Of course. You are now the owner of the Storm Chaser. I believe she is berthed with the Wind Dancer at the moment, however you are free to designate a port of your choice and the Council will send it there.”

“I own the Storm Chaser?”

“Yes,” Peter said with a chuckle. “Did you really think the council would require so much of you with out providing adequate compensation?”

“I expected something,” she said feeling breathless. “But this was certainly not it.”

“You are going to lead a team including two members of the military on an extremely politically charged trip through the channels, you have also agreed to take time out of your already busy schedule to act as Guild liaison, which should ultimately lead the military to the conclusion that it is a completely impractical endeavor for them to even bother with the channels and you warned us of Ian’s betrayal. This is not something that should be cheaply reimbursed.”

“I’m not so sure about the military though,” she warned him. “I can see where they would find the channels to be very useful.” She forced herself to resume her meal even though her fingers itched to grab the papers and pour over them like a greedy child. Elena tries not to look at the packet as if she had just been offered the moon and several of the stars to do something she would have done anyway.

“You will not be allowed to take them on your ship of course,” he cautioned her.

“Isn’t that why you gave me the Storm Chaser? If it is a new ship then it is a blank slate no history or old log books to deal with.”

“It also has the latest technology,” he reminded her. “The military is all about high tech. The Wind Dancer has been volunteered as the ship to make the trip. It is older, you are familiar with it, the Calabrese Family owns it and its entire crew is Italian. All very good points.”

“That makes sense,” she said. “Will they all be speaking Italian for the duration of the trip?”

“Of course,” he said with a wink. “We don’t plan on telling the military that and with luck the person or people they send will not have the language and only e able to speak to you. Besides if they continue to believe that a pilot must sail under the direction of a separate Captain it will be safe for you.”

It was logic she could not dispute so she let it pass and they finished their meal in companionable silence. As they left the building the black sedan pulled up to the curb and as far as Elena could see Peter had not summoned it. She chalked it up to mental telepathy and got into the car. They drove directly to Elena’s apartment building without her having to provide directions, a fact she restrained herself from commenting on. As she got out of the car she wondered if she was expected to put the two men up for the night. Somehow she couldn’t see them sharing her pull out couch.

“We sill pick you up at nine,” Peter said, laying her fears to rest.

“Sounds good,” she said. The car stayed where it was until she entered the door to her apartment building, something she appreciated. She climbed the stairs with the leather packet clutched tight in her hands. Soon she would see the details of the Storm Chaser.

“My own ship,” she said to herself with a smile. Elena took the stairs two at a time.

Catchup

Thanks everyone for putting up with me this past month as things spiraled into insanity. This morning I left my flash drive at home so I will be posting a new chapter bright and early tomorrow. With February over a more normal schedule will resume. Once again thanks for putting up with my lapses this past month. val